Antioxidant activity of alpina galangal extracts and its potential as tootpaste’s additive / Shazwina Abdullah

This article explains how Alpinia galangal has been cultivated as a medicinal herb for its antibacterial, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant activities, as well as a source of food for its high nutritional value to human health. Alpinia galangal is known as Lengkuas” locally in Malaysia. There are several chemicals used as preventative agents and aids to remove the plaque in toothpaste and mouth rinse. However, the high concentration of certain chemicals can cause negative side effects to teeth in long term usage. So, the objectives of this research are to know if there are bioactive compound in Alpinia galangal extract that acts as bioactive agents and is the extract suitable to add as additive in toothpaste to lessen the usage of chemical additive in the toothpaste. The Alpinia galangal rhizome was washed thoroughly, and air dried for one week. The crude extract of Alpinia galangal was obtained through rotary evaporation. In this study, the chemical properties of Alpinia galangal were examined using phytochemical screening. The phytochemical screening indicates positive results in flavonoid, tannins, and saponin, indicating that such chemical components are present in Alpinia galangal extract. The antioxidant activity was then determined using the DPPH method. And after that, toothpaste containing Alpinia galangal extract was developed. The extract yield is 22% (v/w). Furthermore , an antioxidant test using 2,2-diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was conducted. When compared to ascorbic acid, Alpinia galangal has a high antioxidant activity. The disk diffusion method test reveals that toothpaste with a concentration of 3000 ppm has medium antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (11.0 mm) and Bacillus Licheniformis (12.0 mm). The toothpaste was evaluated for spreadability or greasiness, as well as the presence of sharp and edge abrasive particles and pH. The toothpaste runs smoothly when pressed with finger and no sharp abrasive particle to be found. The toothpaste has a good greasiness that is neither too dilute nor too solidified. The median radius ring is 0.33 cm. The toothpaste has a pH of 6, making it safe to use. Bioactive compound is available in Alpinia galangal since the phytochemical screening of flavonoid, tannin, and saponin is positive.